Of the three films — Khel Khel Mein, Vedaa and Stree 2 — releasing on Independence Day, which, according to you, will open the best?

– It’s not possible to predict till one has seen the trailers of all the three films. The trailers of KHEL KHEL MEIN and VEDAA are yet to be released and, therefore, you will have to wait for our prediction about the initial. But after watching the trailer of STREE 2, we can safely predict that its opening will be phenomenal.

What corrective steps should Akshay Kumar take to get back into the league of successful stars?

– Sign better films with more commercial potential. Everything else will fall into place thereafter.

There’s so much of heartburn and tension almost every week when showcasing of films is being done. Exhibitors want to accommodate as many films as possible whereas each distributor wants all or the maximum number of shows for his film. Isn’t there a solution to this regular problem?

– It can start with the large multiplex chains outsourcing the task of showcasing to an independent agency. Smaller chains and single-screen cinemas can appoint the same agency once the multiplexes start reaping the benefits.

Films like Sarfira with Akshay Kumar, and Hindustani 2 (dubbed), which was a sequel to the successful Hindustani, took dismal starts last week. On the other hand, Bad Newz this week takes a good opening. Can you explain why?

– BAD NEWZ isn’t just a far better promoted film than SARFIRA and HINDUSTANI 2 (dubbed) but it also boasts of hit music which the two films of last week lacked. And we all know, the two most important factors responsible for a good initial are an impactful promotion (including, in particular, a good trailer) and hit music.

Your several interviews in recent times have mentioned that South and Hollywood films will save the day for the Hindi film industry this year. Then how is it that Hindustani 2, the Hindi dubbed version of South’s Indian II, bombed?

– I have been maintaining that South and Hollywood films will score more than Hindi films this year but that does not mean that South films will not flop this year. Likewise, that also does not imply that Bollywood films won’t work at all. What my comment means is that the Hindi dubbed versions of several South and Hollywood films will contribute to the Hindi film industry’s business this year while a number of Hindi films will fail to live up to the expectations.

If a film is premiered on an OTT platform and it clicks with the public, can’t it be released theatrically thereafter?

– Hardly any OTT platform has released a film in cinemas after its success on the platform. The logic is that nobody will spend money to watch a film in the cinemas if it is available for ‘free’ on OTT. SIRF EK BANDAA KAAFI HAI, starring Manoj Bajpayee, was an exception. It was released in cinemas after its premiere on Zee5 but that was a very limited release done with the intention of entering the film for awards which necessitated theatrical release.

Why was the advance booking earlier this week, and opening of Sarfira today, so dull?

– Due to several reasons: its promotion failed to have the desired impact; Akshay Kumar doesn’t seem to be the public’s exciting choice to go to the cinemas on the first day of the film; people are aware that it is the remake of Tamil film SOORARAI POTTRU which is available on Amazon Prime, not just in the original Tamil language but also in Hindi as UDAAN.

What should the ideal time to make a sequel of a film be?

– There cannot be an ideal time. A sequel should invoke memories of the earlier part among the public. If that happens, the sequel can be said to be well-timed.

What kind of opening had Hindustani (dubbed) taken when it was released in 1996?

– The initial of HINDUSTANI (Hindi dubbed) on August 16, 1996 in Bombay, C.P. Berar, C.I. and parts of Nizam (Marathwada) was earth-shattering. In the other circuits, it was very good. If you are trying to compare the opening of HINDUSTANI (Hindi dubbed) in 1996 with that of HINDUSTANI 2 (Hindi dubbed) today, perish the thought. For, the initial of HINDUSTANI 2 (Hindi dubbed) today is very poor.

Why are so many films nowadays not even taking decent starts? Not doing well because the content is rejected is one thing, but a star-cast film not even opening well is quite another thing.

– The main culprit is lack of quality and effective promotion. Producers are concentrating more on digital promotion of their films but the fact is that the target audience for films are not all digitally connected or savvy. A large section of the 35-plus audience is still dependent on television, newspaper and street publicity for their knowledge about films releasing in the cinemas. As these media are not being well exploited for promoting films because the emphasis is on social media, producers are unwittingly ignoring a chunk of the potential audience in their marketing campaigns. Also, trailers and music are still the two most important tools of promotion but, sadly, not many producers are working on their music and, therefore, they cannot use their (weak) songs to promote their films. There’s another point too. Stars are becoming more and more reluctant to appear before the public (through interviews, mall appearances, etc.) at the time of their release, as used to happen in the pre-COVID era. This is another reason for lack of awareness about the release of films and, therefore, dull openings.

Was it right on the part of the producers of Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha to postpone its release this week?

– It was definitely an intelligent move. Had they released their film on 5th July, they would’ve not got the optimum number of shows as KALKI 2898 AD (dubbed) is going so strong that exhibitors wouldn’t want to drastically reduce its shows to accommodate AURON MEIN KAHAN DUM THA. The new probable release date — 2nd August — is a good one because the other Fridays before that are all booked: SARFIRA and HINDUSTANI 2 (dubbed) on 12th July, BAD NEWZ on 19th July, and DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE (dubbed and English) on 26th July. Further, there’s no major release slated for 9th August.

One word for the star power of Prabhas?

– Better than that of many Hindi film heroes!

Does the success of Munjya underline the theory that pre-release promotion is not so important after all? We all know that the producers of Munjya did not spend too much on the film’s publicity and promotion.

– No, it doesn’t prove that. What it does prove is that content matters more than anything and everything else. If the content is compelling, less promotion can work. But more often than not, a producer cannot be sure about how good or impactful his film is, before its release. It is only after the public gives a film its thumbs up does the producer realise that his content has worked. Also, like content has its own significance, promotion of a film has its own importance. MUNJYA becoming a runaway hit despite low promotion is an exception rather than the rule. Make no mistake about that! 

How did the Hindi dubbed version of Kalki 2898 AD take a good opening yesterday (June 27)? I ask this question because the murmurs in the trade were that the film would not open well because of low awareness.

– The promotion of the Hindi version may not have been as impactful as one would’ve wanted it to be. But the star cast did its magic. Prabhas has a huge fan following. Moreover, people like to watch him in action roles — and that’s what he is playing in KALKI 2898 AD. Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan and Deepika Padukone are also big names, which attracted the crowds. One more thing: the stunning visual effects were widely discussed once the trailer was out. As for the murmurs in trade circles, they gained ground because the advance booking for the film was not up to the mark. Tickets sold far more briskly in current booking.

With major films flopping left, right and centre, is it time for the industry to ring the alarm bell?

– Not really! It would be time to ring the alarm bell when good content repeatedly starts failing. The current scenario is not that. Bad films are flopping, so that shouldn’t be a cause for concern. By the way, KALKI 2898 AD, released yesterday, seems poised to be a major hit.

Can Munjya be termed a hit?

– Of course, it’s a major hit. For the first week’s share to be almost the same as the cost of the film is no mean achievement. What’s more, the second week’s collections have also been outstanding.

It is so easy for anyone to file a petition against a film’s release. Does the film industry have no remedy against this menace?

– None, till the government decides to come down heavily on such litigation which, more often than not, is frivolous.

It is believed that controversies invariably help a film’s box-office because the more talked about a film, the more number of people would want to watch it. Right or wrong?

– Wrong! A film which lacks merits cannot hope to benefit due to controversies surrounding it. The latest example is this week’s HAMARE BAARAH. Despite being in the news since the last more than a fortnight, it opened to dismal houses today.

They say, pre-release promotion of a film is very important. And yet, Munjya, with not much promotion, is doing well at the box-office. Can you explain?

– MUNJYA is an exception rather than the rule. The producers of the film did not have any star face to promote their film and hence decided to release it with less promotion, hoping that it would open well and they would then pump up the publicity if the audience gave the film their thumbs up. That’s exactly what happened. The content was so compelling that the film not only opened well but also picked up in the weekend. Incidentally, the ticket prices were brought down on the first day itself. That itself can be counted as great promotion for the film. By the way, horror films have inherent power to attract the public even with minimum promotion.

Since Munjya has a very regional flavour as the belief that an unmarried adolescent boy can become a munjya (spirit) if he dies within ten days of his mundan ceremony exists in parts of Maharashtra only, how did the makers not make it in Marathi?

– Credit to the producer for making the film in Hindi in spite of having a subject with a regional flavour and thereby expanding the reach of the subject. It was, perhaps, for this reason that Dinesh Vijan gave the reins of direction in the hands of a Marathi film director, Aditya Sarpotdar. And must say, Sarpotdar has made a film with universal appeal while retaining the local flavour of the subject.

Why did it take so many years for South film producers to realise that they should dub their films in Hindi too and release the dubbed Hindi version simultaneously with the original version?

– The South producers realised that dubbing the films simultaneously in Hindi was a good business proposition after the South heroes became household names in the rest of India, thanks to the Hindi dubbed versions of South films doing well on satellite television channels. The old South films were released (in Hindi) on satellite channels after several months of the release of their original versions. 

Did the Lok Sabha election results on 4th June adversely affect box-office collections that day?

– Not really. While members of the public were very interested in knowing the election results, it is not as if all or most of them wanted a minute-by-minute account of the results. Hence, the box-office was not adversely affected because of the live telecast of the vote counting.

What kind of initial do you expect Chandu Champion to take on 14th June?

– It will open well. The public is hungry for a film starring a popular actor because we’ve not had a film of this kind since a few weeks.

Do you think, the publicity and promotion of Kalki 2898 AD is up to the mark?

– No, it isn’t up to the mark, considering its canvas, scale and star cast. At least, the promotion of the Hindi dubbed version is still below the mark. It has three more weeks to go before the film hits the screens. 

Is its popular music the reason for Mr. & Mrs. Mahi taking an impressive initial today?

– Besides its hit music, the reasonably priced tickets (Rs. 99) due to the celebration of Cinema Lovers’ Day today is also a big reason for the good start.

Is Singham Again finally scheduled for release on Diwali this year? What about Telugu film Devara?

– Although SINGHAM AGAIN has not been announced for release on Diwali, the producers are eyeing that date. Meanwhile, BHOOL BHULAIYAA 3 has already been finalised for release on Diwali this year. As for DEVARA, the original as well as the dubbed versions are scheduled for release on Dassera. On Dassera is also scheduled another South film, KANGUVA (original Tamil as well as all the dubbed versions). Of course, it is unlikely that both the big South films will come on the same day. One of them will have to most likely be postponed.

If the trade can see the positive results of lower admission rates on the box-office, why don’t producers unite and reduce ticket prices?

– Unite? Multiplex chains decide ticket pricing, not the producers. It is not so easy to reduce admission rates. PVR-Inox, Cinepolis and several others don’t find it worth their while to reduce admission rates as, according to them, their overheads are way too high to permit permanent reduction of admission rates. But yes, it is likely that the multiplex chains might now see reason in reducing the rates for small and medium star-cast films. Warning: if the low rates become a regular feature, footfalls in multiplexes and cinemas may not always be high. Today’s (May 31) brisk ticket sales may also be because it is a one-off price reduction scheme.

What do you think of the trailer of Chandu Champion?

– It’s an impressive trailer. Since the story is uplifting and inspirational, it will resonate well with the audience. The producers should keep the tempo of the promotion going till the release and, if need be, thereafter too.

Is there an audience for a futuristic film like Kalki 2898 AD?

– Why not? There’s an audience for every kind of cinema which entertains. The audience don’t go to the cinemas basis the genre. They go to watch a film if it gives them value for money. Nothing more than that, nothing less than that!

In the pre-Covid days, ordinary films used to do at least average business at the ticket windows, but nowadays, such films bomb and don’t even recover their cost. Will the scene change for the better or will those times never return?

– In films as in life, never say never!